U.S. Route 95
Route information | ||||
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Length | 1,561 mi[1] (2,512 km) | |||
Existed | November 11, 1926–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | Calle 1 to Fed. 2 at the Mexican border in San Luis, AZ | |||
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North end | Hwy 95 at the Canadian border in Eastport, ID | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
States | Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south United States Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland from the Pacific Coast. US 95 begins in San Luis, Arizona, at the Mexican border, where Calle 1—a short spur—leads to Highway 2 in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. Its northern terminus is at the Canadian border in Eastport, Idaho, where the roadway continues north as British Columbia Highway 95.[2]
Unlike many other US Highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate Highway corridor, due to its mostly rural and mountainous course. Because of this, it still travels from border to border and is a primary north–south highway in both Nevada and Idaho. This is one of the few US Routes to cross from Mexico to Canada.
Route description
Arizona
US 95 begins in the United States at the San Luis Port of Entry, which connects it with Mexico. It then follows the Colorado River northward to San Luis and on to Yuma, where it goes through town and crosses I-8. As it leaves Yuma, US 95 is an undivided two-lane highway that passes through the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground.
It then travels northward between the proving ground to the west and the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge to the east until Quartzsite. Here, it merges with I-10 and runs concurrent, heading westward for 17 miles (27 km) until the Colorado River, where it enters California, just shy of Blythe.
US 95 spends 123.16 miles (198.21 km) in Arizona.[3]
California
US 95 enters California at Blythe along its dual segment/concurrency with I-10. It travels largely parallel to the west bank of the Colorado River until it joins I-40 in Needles. The route then travels north from Goffs to the Nevada state line.
The total distance in California is about 130 miles (210 km). It is the only US Highway to enter California but not terminate there.
Nevada
US 95 in Nevada is a divided highway between Cal-Nev-Ari (the SR 163 junction to Laughlin) and Boulder City. It is the longest highway in Nevada, at nearly 647 miles (1,040 km). It joins at the interchange as a multi-lane divided freeway past SR 173 and as part of the concurrent route of I-11 and US 93 in Boulder City. Upon entering the Las Vegas Valley, I-11 ends at I-215 and SR 564; I-515 begins here in Henderson. It is also concurrent with I-515 and US 93 between Henderson and Downtown Las Vegas. It crosses I-15 at the Spaghetti Bowl, where I-515 ends and US 93 becomes concurrent with I-15. US 95 continues as a freeway until again becoming a divided highway at Corn Creek Road, northwest of the Las Vegas Valley.
Shortly after entering Nye County, US 95 becomes an undivided two-lane highway past the Mercury interchange, as it meanders northwestward through the state, roughly paralleling the California state line. Along this route, it runs through the Amargosa Valley, serving Beatty before heading north into Goldfield and Tonopah. The highway is concurrent with US 6 for several miles north of Tonopah, before it then heads north towards Hawthorne, Schurz (where it meets US 95 ALT, which heads northwest toward Yerington, Carson City—via US 50 west—Reno—via Ramsey Weeks Cutoff, US 50 east, SR 439 north, and I-80 west—and Fernley) and Fallon. North of Fallon, it meets and runs concurrently with I-80 for 93 miles (150 km), from Exit 83 west of Lovelock to Exit 176 at Winnemucca. It then heads north to the border with Oregon at McDermitt, a distance of 73 miles (120 km).
Oregon
In Oregon, US 95 is an undivided two-lane highway in the sparsely-populated high desert in the southeastern corner of the state, running completely in rural Malheur County. From the Nevada state line at McDermitt, the highway heads north and gradually climbs to its crest at Blue Mountain Pass, at an elevation of 5,293 feet (1,613 m) above sea level. US 95 descends to Basque Station and Burns Junction at 3,960 feet (1,210 m), then eastward down to Rome (3,390 ft [1,030 m]) and up to Jordan Valley (4,389 ft [1,338 m]). The highway heads north-northeastward to the Idaho state line, entering southwest of Marsing in Owyhee County. The speed limit on US 95 in Oregon was 55 miles per hour (89 kilometers per hour) until March 2016, when it was raised to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) to match the speed limits set by Nevada and Idaho.[4]
US 95 is designated the I.O.N. Highway No. 456 (see
Idaho
US 95 is an undivided two-lane highway during most of its length in Idaho, which is over 538 miles (866 km).
US 95 enters Idaho from Oregon in
US 95 becomes a four-lane divided highway after crossing the river east of
History
US 95 was one of the original
Washington (former)
North of
Idaho
In April 2005, the Idaho legislature approved a bill to widen the entire highway from two lanes to four lanes for the entire route starting at the US-Canada port of entry in Eastport, and ending at the border with
The major factors in the reconstruction are due to the fact that US 95 is the only route that runs from north to south in western Idaho, starting at Eastport in the north and ending in remote
The first stage was completed in August 2005 from just south of Coeur d'Alene to Fighting Creek Road, and is an upgraded four-lane highway for approximately ten miles (16 km). The second stage, from Fighting Creek Road to Lake Creek on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation, was completed in late July-early August 2006 and upgraded a seven-mile (11 km) stretch of the highway. The third stage, from Lake Creek to Worley, started mid-to-late 2006 and was completed in 2008. This section is significant, as it is on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation. The "new" highway bypasses the Coeur d'Alene Casino, the largest business on the reservation, with the old highway becoming an alternate route that will connect the highway to the casino and the more remote regions of the reservation. This project improved a 20-mile (32 km) stretch of highway and shortened the length of the highway by about 20 miles (32 km).
Also, a nearly 20-mile (32 km) stretch was completed in 2007 from just north of Lewiston to 6 miles (10 km) south of Moscow.
Future
Nevada
US 95 is part of a proposed northwestward extension of Interstate 11 (I-11) from Las Vegas. The interstate highway would primarily follow the US 95 corridor through central and northwestern Nevada, extending to I-80 near Reno and Sparks via Tonopah. In 2018, the Nevada Department of Transportation had initiated public outreach regarding its long-range planning efforts to narrow down options for the future I-11 corridor.[12][13]
Major intersections
- Arizona
- Calle 1 at the Mexico–US border in San Luis
- I-8 in Yuma
- I-10 in Quartzsite. The highways travel concurrently to Blythe, California.
- California
- I-40 in Needles. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest of Needles.
- Nevada
- I-11 / US 93 in Boulder City. The highways travel concurrently to Las Vegas.
- I-215 in Henderson
- I-515 / US 93 in Henderson. The highways travel concurrently to Las Vegas.
- I-15 / US 93 in Las Vegas
- US 6 in Tonopah. The highways travel concurrently to Coaldale.
- US 50 in Fallon. The highways travel concurrently through Fallon.
- I-80 south-southwest of Lovelock. The highways travel concurrently to Winnemucca.
- Oregon
- No major intersections
- Idaho
- US 20 / US 26 southeast of Parma. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of Parma.
- I-84 south of Fruitland
- US 30 south of Fruitland. The highways travel concurrently to Fruitland.
- US 12 west of Spalding. The highways travel concurrently to Lewiston.
- US 195 north-northwest of Lewiston
- I-90 in Coeur d'Alene
- US 2 in Sandpoint. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of Bonners Ferry.
- Hwy 95 at the Canada–US border in Eastport
See also
- U.S. Route 95 Spur
- U.S. Route 95 Alternate
- U.S. Route 95 Truck (unsigned Nevada SR 362)
References
- ^ Google (June 26, 2023). "US 95 Overview Map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ Endpoints of US highways: U.S. Highway 95 and U.S. Highway 630[self-published source]
- ^ Arizona Department of Transportation. "2006 ADOT Highway Log" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
- ^ Elliot, Njus (March 1, 2016). "Speed limits jump this week on some Oregon highways". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
- ^ Kruesi, Kimberlee (August 18, 2015). "Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 to thwart stoners". KTVB.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- .
- ^ a b c "U.S. 95 and Idaho's North and South Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. October 17, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- Washington State Archives.
- ^ Washington State Department of Transportation (1978). Washington State Highway Map and Guide (Map). Olympia: Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 2, 2022 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
- Google News Archives.
- ^ Washington State Legislature (April 23, 1979). "Chapter 33: State Highway Routes" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1979 1st extraordinary session. Washington State Legislature. p. 1118. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Marroquin, Art (July 13, 2018). "Public meetings on future of I-11 to be held in 7 Nevada cities". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- Reno Gazette–Journal. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2.
External links
- Endpoints of U.S. Highway 95
- Washington Group/CH2M Hill Joint Venture announcement of contract award.[permanent dead link]
- Floodgap Roadgap US 95 Vegas to Blythe
Browse numbered routes | ||||
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← AZ | → SR 95 | |||
← OR 86 | OR | → US 97 |